1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of performing a process and to a client server system. More precisely, the present invention relates to a process performing method which causes a server device to perform a designated operation, and to a client server system for executing a designated image processing, in which a client device and a server device are connected via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to recent developments in computers, client server systems, in which client device(s) and server device(s) are connected via a network such that the client device(s) and the server device(s) can communicate with each other, have been constructed. In the printing industry, for example, a client server system is utilized for a DTP (Desktop Publishing) in which editing and printing operations of documents are performed by using a personal computer or the like.
In DTP, because image data (original image data) of tens to hundreds of megabytes is used in order to obtain high quality printed matter, an OPI (Open Prepress Interface) has been introduced to a client server system. The OPI creates image data to be displayed (referred to as a “low resolution image”, hereinafter) by thinning the original image data (referred to as a “high resolution image”, hereinafter), performs an editing operation by using the low resolution image, replaces the low resolution image with the high resolution image at the time of output, and then outputs the high resolution image to an RIP (Raster Image Processor).
FIG. 13 shows a process performed by a standard OPI (so-called “Aldus-OPI”). In FIG. 13, an editing workstation (W/S) 300 as a client device and an OPI server 310 as a server device are connected via a network.
On the editing workstation 300, an editing operation is performed using a low resolution image 304 generated by thinning a high resolution image 302 by means of an editing software (so-called DTP software). When a print command is issued by the user, and PS data 306 is to be output, the editing workstation 300 inserts information about the high resolution image 302 (such as a name of a folder in which the high resolution image 302 is stored, a file name of the high resolution image 302, and a size) which corresponds to the low resolution image 304, instead of the low resolution image 304 itself, into PS data 306 and then outputs PS data 306.
The output PS data 306 is transmitted to the OPI server 310 via a network. On the OPI server 310, the comment 308 in the PS data 306 is analyzed, the corresponding high resolution image 302 is retrieved, and PS data 312 into which the high resolution image 302 is inserted is generated. The PS data 312 is then transmitted to the RIP 314. In the RIP 314, the PS data 312 is analyzed, and a page format image data is created. When the image data is transmitted to an output device, an output (a print) based on the high resolution image 302 can be obtained.
By introducing an OPI into a client server system in such a manner, on a client device (the editing workstation 300) having an inferior throughput compared to a server device (the OPI server 310), an editing operation is performed with a low resolution image having a small data amount (generally about 1 MB), so that a user can perform the editing operation with ease. Moreover, since it is not necessary for the original image data (the high resolution image 302) having a large data amount to be transmitted from the client device (the editing workstation 300) to the server device (the OPI server 310), an increase in the amount of data transmitted (traffic volume) on the network can be avoided, and a deterioration of data transmission efficiency over the entire network system can be prevented.
Generally, in a client server system, a user can make the client server system perform a desired process and obtain the result of the process by operating a client device. Further, when a user utilizes a function provided in a server device, the user uses exclusive-use software from the client device to invoke the function of the server device, thereby causing the server device to perform the desired process.
However, according to the prior art, system development suppliers need to develop softwares designed exclusively to invoke functions of the server device for each type of client device. Further, users need to prepare (install) this exclusive-use software in advance on each client device.